Defend the Link – model resolutions

The Labour Party – Trade Union link

This Labour Party [or trade union or other organisation] notes the recent statements from Ed Miliband on the Labour Party – Trade Union link and the subsequent speculation in the media. We welcome the defence of the collective affiliation of trades unions to the Labour Party as a legitimate way of providing a political voice for working people by Billy Hayes, CWU General Secretary.

We note that Ray Collins is currently leading a review of the Labour Party’s relationship with the trades unions at the request of the Labour Party Leader. We support positive measures to strengthen and improve the relationship between the Labour Party and trades unions by encouraging the greater democratic engagement of ordinary trade unionists in trades union and Labour Party structures. We also welcome initiatives to encourage trades union members to join the Labour Party.

We call upon the Labour Party NEC [and trade union or other organisation Executive] to oppose any and all suggestions that would weaken or undermine the relationship between the Labour Party and the trades unions based upon collective affiliation and to defend the Labour Party – Trade Union link.

The Labour Party – Trade Union link

This Labour Party [or trades union or other organisation branch] notes:

a) The Labour Party was founded by the trades unions because the working class majority in society had no political voice representing their interests.

b) The Labour Party is still based on the affiliation of nearly three million working-class people through their trades unions.

c) The subordination, over the past 20 years, of the influence of rank and file members and the trades unions in the Labour Party to the influence of big business and a right wing press.

d) The current attacks on Unite the union in relation to the Falkirk selection process, and the broader attack on the Labour-union link by the right-wing media, Tories and those in the Labour Party opposed to the trade union link.

This Labour Party [or trades union or other organisation branch] believes:

a) Any weakening of the trade union link and the ability of trades unions and their members to participate in the Labour Party should be opposed.

b) Affiliated trades unions are entitled to use the democratic structures of the Labour Party in order to promote their policies and their members who wish to seek selection as elected representatives of the Labour Party.

This Labour Party [or trades union or other organisation branch] resolves:

a) To defend the right of affiliated trades unions and their members to take part in the selection of candidates at every level of the Labour Party.

b) To politically educate ourselves about the ideas of working-class representation and the Labour Party and the trades unions’ role in this, and to arrange a local Labour Policy Forum [or trade union or other organisation branch meeting] to discuss this topic before the end of October [or other date].

c) To encourage more trades unionists to become involved in the work of the Labour Party.

d) To work with affiliated trades unions to win support at Labour Party conferences for democratic rule changes and for pro-working-class policies on issues such as the living wage, full employment and trades union rights.

e) To write to NEC Constituency [or Trade Union or other organisation] Representatives urging them to raise the issues outlined in this motion on the NEC.

f) To write to Ed Miliband, to the Labour Party General Secretary and to the Labour Party NEC to demand the publication of the enquiry into the allegations surrounding the Falkirk selection, to demand the removal of Falkirk constituency from “special measures” and to re-iterate the right of the CLP in Falkirk to select its own Westminster parliamentary candidate in accordance with the Party’s rule book.

g) To circulate the text of this motion to the Secretaries of other local Labour Parties [or trades union or other organisation branches] and to all members of our Labour Party [or trades union or other organisation branch].